Strength in weakness?

An online video says that to be strong in painful events and difficult circumstances means to respond to them with acceptance, even indifference. It speaks of realizing one’s helplessness to change things and that the only course of action is to live with it. 

This morning I did a search in Scripture for the term “be strong” and found that God’s way to do it is far more empowering than just living with problems. These examples reveal that God is with me to do whatever seems too difficult for me, and it His promises and presence give me His strength. My part in it is remembering where power comes from and not missing out on that power by disobedience or trying to tackle the problem without Him:

You shall therefore keep the whole commandment that I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and take possession of the land that you are going over to possess. (Deuteronomy 11:8)
Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:7–9)
And Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. For thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.” (Joshua 10:25)
But go, act, be strong for the battle. Why should you suppose that God will cast you down before the enemy? For God has power to help or to cast down.” (2 Chronicles 25:8)
Can your courage endure, or can your hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with you? I the Lord have spoken, and I will do it. (Ezekiel 22:14)
Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts, (Haggai 2:4)

My part is not just knowing God is with me, and being obedient, but patiently waiting for Him. This means waiting for His instructions and for the peace and power that He gives. It also means realizing, admitting, and even being glad that I cannot handle any challenges in my own strength. 

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! (Psalm 27:14)
And he said, “O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.” And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” (Daniel 10:19)
Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. (1 Corinthians 16:13)
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. (Ephesians 6:10)
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9–10)

Being watchful for His commands and standing firm comes to those who wait, not reluctantly or helplessly, but with the attitude that He is in charge and something good will come from this if I leave it to Him, do what He says, and remain confident rather than panic — for fear is not from God. Nor is my weakness an obstacle for His strength, but rather an opportunity.

PRAY: Lord, I don’t know why You are speaking to me about fear and trusting You is trials. It could be that trials are on the doorstep? But I know what You say is good because You are good. I also know my mom’s mantra is good too (“We must need it or we wouldn’t be getting it!”) so I will trust You, regardless of circumstances, and be strong, not in myself but in You and Your strength and goodness.

God works in me…

When I read a verse like, “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge” (2 Peter 1:5) I have to remember passages like this one:

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12–13)

If I don’t, then all efforts to add virtue to faith, etc. might be without and fruitless. Jesus is the example. He spoke often of doing the works God sent Him to do. He also said, “Not my will but thine be done” as He prayed.

One author says we cannot do what God does, and that God will not do what we can do. We cannot save ourselves nor sanctify ourselves, God does that; but God will not give us good habits.

I disagree. Apart from Him working in me to “will and to work for His good pleasure” I know that I would not want to add to my faith or doing anything other than what I felt like doing. It is this battle against self and my selfishness that He won for me at the cross and works continually in my life that I will be transformed into His likeness.

At the same time, when He speaks, I must obey, yet not I but motivated by the Spirit that lives in me. Another writer says: “My only resource is to cast myself upon Jesus in the most ignorant sort of way, defining nothing, and almost as it were believing nothing, but simply trusting Him to accomplish the whole work from beginning to end in His own way and time.”

She tells of a woman who thought she had to speak English in her prayers, but only knew two words, so she prayed those two words. These words were meaningless but God heard her heart and answered her prayers.

Others who pray seem to value thee’s and thou’s as if King James had the secret of prayer. Still others pressure God with “but You promised” and claim the right to have whatever they ask for.

These weeks, God is showing me that the secret of prayer is not any sort of manipulation or ‘trick’ or formula. It is helplessness. When I feel like the woman who knew no English, God hears my heart. When I feel physically faint or spiritually bankrupt, I am learning to rest in Him. As a third writer says, when I am feeling unable, His message is not, “Be strong and of good courage” because my strength and courage has abandoned me. Instead, He says, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

This is what God asks of me — never “Try harder” but always “Trust Me” and “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14)

PRAY: Jesus, in waiting for You yesterday, three phone calls became answers to the cries of my heart. I was trying to verbalize one of those cries, but the other two were also ‘heard’ and answered, needed but not expressed. You hear me, even when I don’t speak. You work in me even when I feel useless. May I be as faithful to hear You, not so I can jump into action but so You can direct me to act or think whatever You desire from me. I want to be motivated by You, not my I wants, or what is happening around me. Guide even my heart as well as my prayers. Oh, God, what a wonder You are!

Confirmed by Miracles?

 

Some people use the term to describe the unexpected rather than how the Bible describes a miracle. My dictionary says a miracle is “a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency.” While it adds “improbable events or amazing achievements”, that first definition is the biblical one.

Jesus did miracles to affirm that He was the Word of God made flesh. He said:

“If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” Again, they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands. (John 10:37–39)

They didn’t want that to be true, but Nicodemus did. He said to Jesus, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” (John 3:2)

Later on, the disciples also affirmed that Jesus was God at work. Peter said on the day of Pentecost:

Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. (Acts 2:22–24)

Miracles, signs and wonders may happen, or life can be ordinary, but His resurrection definitely affirms that Jesus is who He claimed to be, and what He says is true. Paul wrote, “We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.” (1 Corinthians 15:15) Even so, the Bible says, miracles or not . . .  

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?  . . . But they have not all obeyed the gospel . . . Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ (Romans 10:13–17)

Miracles and hearing about Him do not guarantee that all will believe. Those who saw Him at work did not believe. Many who hear about Him do not believe. The NT adds more affirmation in this warning:

How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. (Hebrews 2:3–4)

These “gifts of the Holy Spirit” refer to events such as healing illnesses, casting out demons, speaking in tongues, even raising the dead. While MacArthur believes some were “temporary sign gifts” God still performs such things to bring people to their knees before Him. Certainly, the more usual gifts given to believers, such as words of wisdom, faith, discernment, service, leadership and compassion, are vital in edifying the church. When properly used, these gifts affirm the truth about Jesus.

Still, miracles, signs, wonders, and Christlike giftedness do not guarantee that those who see them will give their lives to Christ. Sin blinds. Humanity rationalizes even blatant miracles and manipulates truth rather than accept that Jesus came, lived, died, and rose again. Because of that, isn’t the greatest miracle of all that God gives faith to sinners? He says, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” (Romans 3:11–12) Yet millions believe in Jesus and will die rather than reject Him.

PRAY: Without Your Word, Jesus, I would not have daily affirmations and the blessings You give through the wonder of knowing You. I’m so thankful for the gift of faith (Ephesians 2:8-9) and for Your Word that affirms to me what I need to know — about myself — but mostly about You. Surely, You are God and all that I need.

PONDER: Acts 5–19 and all the miracles that happened to affirm the gospel. Be thankful that God is the same God today. He is bringing thousands to Jesus through amazing events, even dreams and visions and affirming their faith in such amazing ways that that severe persecution cannot turn them away. Pray for the persecuted church!